Karnataka: Counting of votes beings for bypolls to 3 Assembly seats

Bengaluru: The counting of votes is underway on Saturday for the high stake bypolls held to three Assembly segments in Karnataka, which witnessed a fierce fight between the ruling Congress and a combative BJP-JD(S) alliance.

By-elections to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna Assembly segments were held on November 13 and the outcome is crucial for either camp.

A Congress show will be seen as an endorsement of both Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, while BJP's good show would mean the silencing of its state president B Y Vijayendra's critics, within the saffron organisation fold.

For JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, it will be a battle of prestige as his son Nikhil is testing his electoral fortunes from Channapatna, after tasting defeats in earlier contests. Kumaraswamy had vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha in this year's elections.

The counting of votes began at 8 am in three centres (one each in three segments) and poll officials expect a clear picture about the outcome to emerge by mid-day.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the three Assembly constituencies, especially in and around the counting centres, to avoid any untoward incidents, official sources said.

The bypolls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna were necessitated as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister Kumaraswamy to Lok Sabha in May elections.

Channapatna saw the highest number of 31 candidates in the fray, followed by Shiggaon (8) and Sandur (6).

While Channapatna had recorded a voter turnout of 88.81 per cent, it was 80.72 per cent and 76.24 per cent, respectively in Shiggaon and Sandur, respectively.

The bypolls witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA took on the grand old party.

Among the three segments, Channapatna was considered to be a "high profile" battle, where the contest was between C P Yogeeshwara and actor-turned-politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy, Kumaraswamy's son and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's grandson.

A five-time MLA from the segment and a former minister, Yogeeshwara joined the Congress after quitting BJP ahead of nomination.

There were plans to field Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he was not interested in it, and instead wanted Kumaraswamy to support him as BJP candidate. This was not acceptable to Kumaraswamy and his party, following which Yogeeshwara jumped ship.

Victory of Nikhil, who faced defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha and 2023 Assembly polls, is "crucial" for Kumaraswamy, who had represented Channapatna twice in the past.

Congress' win in the seat is equally important for deputy CM and state Congress chief Shivakumar and his brother and former MP D K Suresh to strengthen their position in their home district of Ramanagara, a Vokkaliga heartland.

In Shiggaon, BJP's Bharath Bommai, son of Basavaraj Bommai was in contest against Congress' Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, who had faced defeat against the former chief minister in the 2023 Assembly polls.

In Sandur, Bellary MP Tukaram's wife E Annapurna of Congress contested from the seat vacated by her husband, against BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu, who is considered close to party leader and former mining barron G Janardhan Reddy.

With Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Bharath Bommai contesting, the third generation of Gowda and Bommai families were in the fray in this bypoll battle. Both their fathers and grandfathers have served as Karnataka's chief ministers in the past.

Congress winning the by-polls is also seen to be crucial for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, amid demands for his resignation following charges against him in the MUDA site allotment case.

There were also behind-the-scenes political activities within the ruling Congress earlier this year, with a few ministers in his Cabinet holding closed door meetings, fueling speculation about leadership change. But such activities came to a halt following instructions from the party high command.

It is equally important for Shivakumar, who has not shied away from openly expressing his Chief Ministerial ambitions, amid speculations over "rotational Chief Minister formula," according to which he will become CM after two-and-half years (in this govt's five years tenure), but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.

Stakes are also high for state BJP President Vijayendra, as party winning the bypolls is key for him to silence his critics within the party, who have raised a banner of revolt against his leadership, accusing him and his father, veteran leader B S Yediyurappa of "adjustment politics".

The campaigning was marked by personal attacks by political leaders against each other, the MUDA scam charges against the CM, allegations of corruption in Valmiki Corporation and excise department, and issues around the inquiry report on alleged irregularities in the purchase of equipment and medicines during the Covid-19 recommending prosecution of the then Chief Minister Yediyurappa and former minister B Sriramulu.